The Mystery in Berkshire
by oldschooljukebox
Summary: Pre-Reichenbach. Takes place right after The Hounds of Baskerville. A champion British race horse has been stolen and Sherlock and John are called to investigate the mysterious robbery of the valuable animal. Who is behind it? Was the horse stolen for it's value or do the owner's family have skeletons in their closet?
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to read my story! It make take a chapter or two for it to really pick up! I need to introduce the case before the fun can really begin, so stick with it! :) I also would like to add that I am American and I apologize for any American slang or lingo that might make it's way into the story! This is all written from John's perspective and this takes place right after the Hounds of Baskerville. Pre-Reichenbach

**Chapter 1**

_August._

I stretched my arms as I made my way down the stairs. As usual Sherlock had beaten me to breakfast because no matter how early I got out of bed, he was always there before me. I was convinced he didn't sleep and breakfast was the only meal I could ever count on him eating regularly. He was usually too busy or simply couldn't be bothered during the day to eat. I worried about him sometimes and it was easy to deduce how he stayed so thin.

"Morning." I said as I took my seat across from him at the table.

"So it is." He said curtly as he stared down at a page of the morning's newspaper.

I knew better than to provoke a conversation when he was in this sort of mood so I resorted to staring out the window. It was a beautiful day; the type of day you'd only see during the summer in England. My peaceful thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of rustling paper. I stared at Sherlock as he manically flipped through the pages of the newspaper. After a few moments he stopped, folded the paper and slammed it down on the table. He let out a long sigh, "Nothing interesting…again!"

It had been about two weeks since we had returned from our adventures in Dartmoor and Sherlock had been become increasingly irritated as the days went by. No new cases had been presented to us and Sherlock attempted to fill his time with his studies, but we both knew that could only occupy his mind for a short time. He needed real stimulation. He needed a case. "Sherlock," I soothed, "it's only a matter of time before someone comes to us with a case."

Sherlock frowned, "it's been ages since we've had a case!"

I rolled my eyes, "Don't be overly dramatic. It's only been less than two weeks!" I sighed, "Remember what happened last time you complained about being bored? I ended up in a darkened pool with a bomb strapped to me!"

Sherlock smiled, "Ah yes. Those were the fun times. Those were an interesting couple of days. Good cases. Good for brain work."

Before I could reply there was a soft knock at our door and Mrs. Hudson appeared in the living room. "Hope I'm not interrupting!"

"Of course not." Replied Sherlock, "there's nothing to interrupt…nothing exciting is going on…"

She glanced at me and I shook my head and encouraged her to ignore his comment and for her to continue. "Well Sherlock, " she said, "My niece is coming to London later today and she would like to meet you."

Sherlock gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes, "Mrs. Hudson, please tell your niece that I am flattered in her interest in me but I'm not the dating-"

"No, no, no," Interrupted Mrs. Hudson, "she has a case she'd like you to look into. There was been a robbery of something very value where she works and no one knows how the robbery took place."

"Oh!" Exclaimed Sherlock, with a glint in his eye "then by all means send her our way!" He stood up and began pacing the room, "if you would be so kind could you tell me what as stolen?"

Mrs. Hudson gave Sherlock a look full of shock, "you read the papers don't you? You didn't see the article?"

"What article?" Asked Sherlock with a look of intrigue.

Mrs. Hudson walked over to the table and pulled out a section of the newspaper then handed it to Sherlock. "This is the Sports section!" He scoffed, "there is nothing of interest to me in this part of he newspaper."

"Read the headline." She replied.

Sherlock stared at the paper for a moment then looked back up at Mrs. Hudson, "you're niece is involved in this scandal?"

"Oh yes!" She replied quickly, "she works for the owner! They are all devastated and thoroughly confused of how it all took place."

"What scandal?" I asked impatiently.

Sherlock handed me the paper and the headline immediately jumped out at me.

** Champion Race Horse Stolen in the Dead of Night**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"A stolen horse?" I asked as Sherlock continued to pace around the room.

"Not just an ordinary horse!" He replied with a hint of excitement, "one of the most famous and valuable horses in the country!"

I stared at him blankly,"how could someone have stolen a horse without any one noticing? I assume a horse of that value would have had some sort of security."

"It's best not to speculate, John." Said Sherlock as walked over a took the newspaper from my hands, "forming theories without data is a dangerous business. I cannot fully begin the formulate a case until I speak with the people involved with the scandal." He turned to look at Mrs. Hudson, "how soon can your niece be here?"

"She called me about an hour ago saying she was leaving Berkshire, so I imagine she'll be here soon." She replied, "I'll let you know when she arrives."

"Good. Good" Said Sherlock as Mrs. Hudson left to room.

"So," I asked once Mrs. Hudson had left, "I don't mean to insult your vast knowledge of the world, but what you do know about horse racing? Or horses for that matter? Or…anything revolving sports…"

"Oh John." He replied with an exasperated tone, "the horse doesn't come into it. The horse didn't just run away. It was stolen. People steal things and I have a very comprehensive understanding of people, but again John…don't speculate. We can discuss this more when we meet with Mrs. Hudson's niece." He glanced at his watch, "which hopefully will be very soon."

Not even had hour had passed before we heard voices coming up the stairs. Sherlock was dressed and in a visibly better mood than he was a breakfast earlier in the day. The prospect of an interesting case had raised his spirits. "You boys ready?" asked Mrs. Hudson as she and a young woman entered the room.

Sherlock walked across the room and shook her hand, "I'm Sherlock Holmes and this is my friend John Watson."

The young lady smiled as she shook his hand, "I'm Melanie Harvey."

Sherlock gestured for her to take a seat and we both got a good look at her. She was in her late twenty's and dressed casually. She wore dark blue jeans, a baseball cap that covered her blonde hair and white jacket with the words "Chamberlin Farms" written on the top left hand corner. "So," Sherlock asked as he once again paced around the room, "I understand that there has been a robbery your place of employment."

"Yes," She replied softly, "I assume your read the article in the paper. It's all over the news."

Sherlock nodded, "the article was presented to me, but a first hand account of the events are very useful to me. If you would be so kind, please start from the beginning."

She took a deep breath, "Okay well. Are you familiar with the Chamberlin family or horse racing in general?"

I laughed, "Sherlock doesn't really care for sports; they don't interest him at all. I'd explain everything."

"Okay," She continued as Sherlock shot me an angry look, "Well the Chamberlin family is one of the oldest thoroughbred families in England. Their legacy goes back over 200 years. The owner now is Joyce Chamberlin and I started working for her as an assistant trainer a little over three years ago. The family is known for breeding their horses and keeping the best of the crop to race for themselves. They used to own hundreds of horses, but the business is quite small now. There are only about twenty horses on the farm at the moment; the most prized being Cambrian."

"That was the one that was stolen, yes?" Asked Sherlock.

Melanie nodded, "Cambrian is a four year old dark bay thoroughbred. I've only been working with him for about six months. When I began working for her I had to start out with the lesser horses. We all have to work our way up. When her top trainer resigned earlier in the year I moved up and began working with the Group 1 horses. He's an amazing horse and he's brought great prestige back to the Chamberlin family. Earlier in the summer he won the King George Stakes for the second year in a row." She stared at Sherlock who stared intently back at her, "King George Stakes? You know, the most prestigious race in all of Britain?"

"Never heard of it." Replied Sherlock

"Well, it's run in July at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, that's where we are based out of."

Sherlock nodded, "and I assume there is a very large purse for winning this race?"

"Yes!" She replied happily, "it's over five hundred thousand pounds for the winner."

"Hm." Mused Sherlock thoughtfully, "so if the horse has won it twice then he's worth over a million dollars."

She nodded, "Yeah, well he's won more than just those two races. He's worth more than a million. He's the most if not the most valuable horse in the country at the moment. That's why we think it's very suspicious that he has gone missing, but we can't understand what the motive would be."

"To sell him, perhaps?" I asked.

She shook her head, "it's not that easy. You can't just go and sell a horse like that. He's famous. Everyone in the sport knows who he is and he's registered. You need his papers, which we still have. You can't breed him without his papers or listing his name. If you did the association would find immediately and you'd be in heaps of trouble. You certainly can't race him without documenting who he is, so what's the point in stealing a horse you can't do anything with?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Very interesting indeed." Replied Sherlock, "you make some very excellent points Ms. Harvey."

Melanie smiled, clearly pleased with herself. I was sure Mrs. Hudson had talked to her about Sherlock in the past. She was probably aware of his less-than-hospitable nature. "So," she continued, "we can't think of any motive of why someone would want to steal Cambrian. It's actually very rare for expensive and valuable racehorses to be stolen. We can't compare this situation to many others."

Sherlock was quiet for a moment then turned to face Melanie, "You said you were the assistant trainer for Mrs. Joyce Chamberlin, correct?"

"Yes." She answered, "She is the owner of the company and the horses."

"So," he asked, "why are you the one seeking my assistance? I'm sure Mrs. Chamerblin is very concerned about the matter. Why isn't she the one sitting here explaining the case? Why send the assistant trainer?"

Melanie's face fell, "well, Mrs. Chamberlin isn't in the best of health and she's been wheelchair bound for the last five years. She hardly ever leaves her estate. We were talking about the situation and she mentioned that she wasn't pleased with how the police were handling the situation. No one seemed to care. So I casually mentioned my aunt knew this brilliant detective and she was very intrigued. She asked me if I could get in touch with you. So, here I am. She'd love to meet with you if you were interested in the case. She's heartbroken over the disappearance of Cambrian. She was quite found of him."

"Well,' I interjected, "I for one I am very interested in this case. What do you think Sherlock?"

Sherlock stared at Melanie for a moment and replied, "I'll take the case."

Melanie stood up in excitement, "Oh thank you Mr. Holmes! I can't take to tell Mrs. Chamberlin! She'll be so pleased! We want Cambrian back safe and sound. We worry more with each passing hour."

"Have no fear," Said Sherlock as he walked Melanie towards the door, "we will be there later today." He handed her a piece of paper, "here is my number and John's number. Text me the address."

"Awesome, thank you. I'll see you later then!"

Sherlock and I sat in silence as we watched her go downstairs. When she was out of sight he started to pace around the room once more. "So, any ideas?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I still don't have much to go on, "replied Sherlock absent mindedly, "Though I am very anxious to meet Mrs. Chamberlin. I feel she holds many of the missing pieces to this mystery."

"How so?"

"Well," he said he finally took a seat, "it's quite clear this horse wasn't stolen for money. No, his disappearance has a far greater meaning than just greed."

"What meaning?" I asked

Sherlock shrugged, "No idea. Not enough data. I need information and I'm very certain that Mrs. Chamberlin can give me what I need."

"Well," I said thoughtfully, "Melanie did mention that the family had been in the business for a very long time. They're bound to have made enemies along the way. Maybe this is pay back for something?"

"Plausible." Replied Sherlock," but I can't be sure until we go to Berkshire."

"What is it?" I asked as I noticed a small smile appear across Sherlock's face, "why are you smiling."

He laughed, "Melanie said something that was very interesting to me. She said that valuable horses get stolen it rare and that the police couldn't compare this situation to many others."

"So?" I asked.

He continued to smile, "then this is something new. Something I haven't seen before. I've made it very clear during the course of our relationship, John that many of our cases are simply repeats and innovations of cases from the past. Nothing is ever new. That's why I have an encyclopedic knowledge of cases that took place in the past. I devote time to reading old police reports and court cases. It's very useful to me to have that information. It makes solving current mysteries very easy. If I piece clues together and apply them to a similar case from the past…it's all very simple."

I couldn't help but to smile as well, "you're probably the only person in the world that can say what you just said and call it simple!"

He opened his mouth to reply but he was distracted by a shrill noise from his phone. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "Melanie just sent me the details. We will be staying at the Chamberlin estate at the request of Mrs. Chamberlin. Apparently that's were the crime took place." He stood up, "well there's not much use in sitting here and chatting. We have a mystery to solve."

With that he disappeared into the kitchen and I walked up the stairs to my room to pack. It seemed like most of our cases lately had taken us out of London. My bag that I had taken to Dartmoor still laid at the foot of my bed. I picked it up and started to put clothes into it. It was time for another case with Sherlock Holmes. The Mystery in Berkshire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was a little after 1pm when he started our short journey to Berkshire. Sherlock didn't say much throughout the trip and spent most of his time staring at his mobile phone most likely looking up information. I spent my time watching the city fade away into countryside. Noisy streets filled with cars and people transformed into gently rolling hills. The Chamberlin Estate was located in the village of Lambourn. As we got closer the hills became dotted with fences and horses. I felt a sense of peace as I watched the horses graze silently on the green summer grass. I'm not sure Sherlock even noticed; his mind seemed a million miles away. Natural beauty was mostly lost on him. We were here for business and therefore the scenery around us made no difference.

Our journey came to an end when we approached a large iron gate with the letters "WC" welded in the center. We gave our information at the call box and the gate swiftly opened. There was a long dirt driveway leading to a magnificent brick house. The house was situated at the top of a hill and to the side of the house was a large stone barn. As we got out of the car we could see people walking around the property. When I glanced at Sherlock I noticed he finally began to become aware of our surroundings. His crystal blue eyes scanned the property with eagle like precision. We had been there for two minutes and he was already collecting data.

We were brought out of our trance when we heard a familiar voice. "Mr. Holmes! Mr. Watson! Welcome!"

"Nice to see you again Ms. Harvery." Greeted Sherlock with tone of insincerity, "my what, a lovely place."

She smiled, "it's beautiful isn't it? I love it here. It's been in the family since the 1800s!" She turned towards the house, "come in! Mrs. Chamberlin will be with you in a moment. She had a unexpected guest."  
I felt my jaw drop as we followed Melanie into the beautiful house. All the furniture was made out of an elegant dark wood and the walls were decorated with pictures of horses. Some pictures were in color while others were in black and white. It was at that moment that I realized the prominence that this family had in the thoroughbred business. Some pictures were just of horses standing in the barn or in a pasture while others were taken in the winner's circle after a race. One picture caught my eye in particular "My god." I blurted out loud, "is that the Queen?"

We stopped and stared at the picture on the wall. Melanie opened her mouth to reply but we were startled by another voice, "Yes. That is most certainly Her Majesty the Queen. She presents the trophy to the winner of the Gold Cup at Ascot."

At the sound of the voice I could fell Sherlock body tense in agitation. "What are you doing here Mycroft?" He asked through gritted teeth.

I turned around to find Mycroft Holmes standing behind me. He gave Sherlock a smug smile and replied, "Just dropping in on an old friend. Joyce and I go way back. I saw the article in the paper and dropped in to see how see was doing. It's a terrible situation."

Sherlock rolled his eyes, "how convenient. Don't lie. You knew I was going to be here."

Mycroft let out a small laugh, "don't be so self absorbed. It's not a flattering trait. Unlike you I do have hobbies outside of my work. I like to attend the races when I have time and I have known Joyce for years. In fact," He smiled, "I own a share in one of her horses. So when I say I came here to see how she was doing, I meant it. Running into you was just a pleasant surprise."

Sherlock grimaced, "Well what a coincidence. I'm here for work and I hope you are on you're way out. We have an appointment with Mrs. Chamberlin."

Mycroft nodded, "Ah yes. I must get back to London. Things to do, people to see." He started to walk towards the door, "I might be back. Hopefully we'll see each other again."

I could feel Sherlock's eyes burn a hole into Mycroft's back as he exited the house. "He did this just to irritate me." Muttered Sherlock, "I know it. He doesn't have…" he paused for dramatic effect, "hobbies!"

I shrugged, "how do you know? He might. It seems like logical." I placed my hand on his shoulder, "look, don't worry about it. He doesn't matter, let's just go see Mrs. Chamberlin."

Sherlock nodded, "right."

We followed Melanie into a large sitting room. The wooden bookcases where filled with a combination of books and trophies. In the center of the room a woman sat in a wheelchair, "Ah!" She exclaimed, "You must be Mr. Holmes and Dr. Waston."

She spoke with a strength that did not reflect her appearance. She looked ill and very weak. Her back was hunched and her skin was lined with deep wrinkles, but she was strong. She gestured towards the chairs." Please, sit down."

Melanie left the room as we took our seats across from Mrs. Chamberlin. Sherlock took off his coat and placed it on the arm of the sofa we shared. Sherlock studied her for a moment before speaking, "I have some questions I'd like to ask before we start talking about the case."

She nodded, "I'm not surprised. I am sure there are matters concerning my family that you are aware of and that need clarification, but before you accuse me Mr. Holmes… I can guarantee that I have no involvement in the disappearance of my beloved horse."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I'm sure you do your research, Mr. Holmes," she continued, "and I thought I'd get that out there before you started asking questions about my family's past." She looked sad for a moment, "I didn't always agree with my brother, Vernon's, decisions. I didn't become head of the company until his death ten years ago. He did things I'm not exactly proud of, but since I've taken over I've gone to great lengths to reestablish the Chamberlin name."

"We aren't trying to accuse you Mrs. Chamberlin." I said in a soft voice. I could see that she was overcome with emotion and guilt. I was trying to be the calm before the storm because I knew Sherlock wasn't going to go easy on her.

"No Mrs. Chamberlin I wasn't trying to throw around accusations," began Sherlock, "I apologize if it came off that way, but I do believe there is cause to be suspicious. This isn't the first time something bad has happened to one of your prized horses. Do you recall what happened on March 19th, 1988?"

"I assume you're referring to the Celt scandal." Replied Mrs. Chamberlin dryly.

"Celt?" I asked.

She sighed, "Celt was one our most successful horses in the 1980's." Her voice trailed off, "he was such a lovely animal."

"What happened to him?" I asked

Sherlock stood up and began pacing "Should you tell him? Or should I?" Mrs. Chamberlin shook her head, "Okay then. I'll explain. I was looking through old newspaper articles concerning the Chamberlin family and I came across something very interesting. A red flag first went up in my mind when Melanie was telling John and I about your family earlier today. She mentioned that your family used to own a lot of horses, but now your operation is quite small. The first possibility that came to my mind was money issues. Of course, I was right. The article told me that your brother had to file for bankruptcy in the mid 1980's. The economy was slowing down and you could no longer afford to keep such a large operation. Your horses weren't winning and there were bills to pay. So a clever little idea popped into your brother's head. He thought of a quick and easy way to get money fast."

"I had nothing to do with it!" Cried Mrs. Chamberlin, "it wasn't my idea and I didn't know he was planning on doing such a thing. If I did know I would have tried to stop it."

Sherlock once again studied the woman. Her back was even more hunched and her wrinkled face was contorted in saddness as Sherlock silently stood in front of her.

"Sherlock!" I hissed through gritted teeth, "seriously, lay off. This obviously a very painful subject for her."

"I'm fine Dr. Watson," Said Mrs. Chamberlin as she regained her composure, "remembering it all is very hard for me. I've had to discuss this matter many times, but it never seems to get any easier. Continue Mr. Holmes."

I gave her a smile then turned to Sherlock, "so what happened to the horse?"

Sherlock took his eyes off of the woman and continued his story, "I'm not sure you're aware John, but you can insure horses that are very valuable. This horse in particular had a very successful career and was worth a pretty penny. However, like most things, you can only collect the money when something unforeseeable happens."

I stared at Sherlock, "the horse died…" Sherlock smiled, "it was…killed?"

"Precisely!" Exclaimed Sherlock, "in order to collect the money her brother had to stage an accident. Horses are clumsy and hurt themselves all the time, hence the need for insurance in the first place, so it is very plausible that a horse could hurt himself while just standing in his stall. That's exactly what Vernon Chamberlin thought as well. All the horse had to do was break his leg badly while in his stall and he'd need to be put down. Simple, plausible and no one would ask questions, but that's not what happened was it? When the veterinarian came out to x-ray the horse's shattered leg they found out how badly injured it was. A horse could not apply enough force to break his own leg that badly, no…the horse couldn't have done it on his own."

"So?" I asked eagerly, "how was it broken?"

"Foul play was immediately suspected and the police got involved," He once again turned to Mrs. Chamberlin, "I read an article which contained an interview from your head groom Mr. Jackson Redville. He said that Vernon Chamberlin told him to take March 19th off." He paused, "very suspicious indeed. He also noted that the truck he used to deliver hay to the pastures had been moved to a different piece of the property. As the police inspected the truck they found a piece of rope with a little slipknot at the end…"

"No…"I said in disbelief.

Mrs. Chamberlin sighed, "Yes, my brother the assistant groom backed the truck into the barn, tied his leg to the truck with the rope and drove until the leg snapped." She looked straight at Sherlock, "I never forgave my brother. Turns out his plan failed and he and the assistant groom spent five years in jail for fraud. We lost one of your best horses. It wasn't fair to him. Celt trusted us and we betrayed him. I'd never let anything that happen ever again. I watched as that scandal tore my family and my business apart. People hated us. Our horses were denied entrance into races. We were hit harder than ever, but it became my job to bring us back to the top."


End file.
